# ACVR2A

Source: https://onco.cc/targets/acvr2a/  
OnCo record `acvr2a` (Target). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

ACVR2A (Activin receptor type-2A) is a protein kinase, an enzyme that switches other proteins on by adding phosphate groups. The public catalogues list it as an oncogene driver and a tumour suppressor, and it is called a cancer driver by mutation analysis of patient cohorts. Tied to Colorectal cancer, Hepatocellular carcinoma, Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and 4 more.

## Summary

On ligand binding, forms a receptor complex consisting of two type II and two type I transmembrane serine/threonine kinases. Type II receptors phosphorylate and activate type I receptors which autophosphorylate, then bind and activate SMAD transcriptional regulators. Receptor for activin A, activin B and inhibin A.

Open Targets scores its association with cancer at 0.76 (direct and indirect evidence; datatypes literature 0.92, animal model 0.27, genetic association 0.41, somatic mutation 0.94). IntOGen calls it a driver in 13 cohorts (1 activating, 12 loss-of-function), covering Colorectal Adenocarcinoma, Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma, Prostate Adenocarcinoma, Stomach Adenocarcinoma and others.

## Fields

- Kind: Target
- Last checked: 2026-09-23
- Also known as: activin A receptor type 2A; Activin receptor type-2A; ACTRII; ACVR2
- Tags: cancer-genes-wave
- Symbol: ACVR2A
- Class: kinase
- Biology: On ligand binding, forms a receptor complex consisting of two type II and two type I transmembrane serine/threonine kinases. Type II receptors phosphorylate and activate type I receptors which autophosphorylate, then bind and activate SMAD transcriptional regulators. Receptor for activin A, activin B and inhibin A. Mediates induction of adipogenesis by GDF6. Location: Cell membrane (UniProt). Locus 2q22.3-q23.1 (HGNC).
- Where found: Colorectal cancer: Open Targets association 0.64 with colorectal cancer (MONDO_0005575); IntOGen driver in 3 cohorts (COADREAD); Hepatocellular carcinoma: IntOGen driver in 3 cohorts (HCC); Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: IntOGen driver in 3 cohorts (PAAD); Gastric & gastro-oesophageal junction cancer: Open Targets association 0.56 with gastric cancer (MONDO_0001056); IntOGen driver in 1 cohort (STAD); Prostate cancer: IntOGen driver in 1 cohort (PRAD); Endometrial cancer: IntOGen driver in 1 cohort (UCEC)

## Notes

- Written by scripts/fetch-cancer-genes.ts from CIViC, Open Targets, IntOGen, HGNC and UniProt; the function text is UniProt's, condensed and in UK spelling. Roles: IntOGen calls it an activating (Act) driver in 1 cohort; IntOGen calls it a loss-of-function (LoF) driver in 12 cohorts. Evidence tier "cohort-driver" is the strongest of those signals.
- Prevalence not recorded: none of the sources gives a positivity rate.

## Sources

- HGNC HGNC:173: https://www.genenames.org/data/gene-symbol-report/#!/hgnc_id/HGNC:173
- UniProt P27037: https://www.uniprot.org/uniprotkb/P27037/entry
- NCBI Gene 92: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/92
- Ensembl ENSG00000121989: https://www.ensembl.org/Homo_sapiens/Gene/Summary?g=ENSG00000121989

## Connected records

- collections: [IntOGen](https://onco.cc/collections/intogen/), [Open Targets Platform](https://onco.cc/collections/open-targets/)
- cancers: [Colorectal cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/colorectal/), [Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/cutaneous-scc/), [Endometrial cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/endometrial/), [Gastric & gastro-oesophageal junction cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/gastric/), [Hepatocellular carcinoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/hcc/), [Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/pancreatic/), [Prostate cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/prostate/)

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JSON: https://onco.cc/api/v1/entities/acvr2a.json